Jolly Trolley incident raises concerns

When a Jolly Trolley traveling south of Dewey Beach overturned Oct. 2 injuring 12 wedding guests, the incident brought back bad memories for Tim Bennett and his wife.

In July, Bennett said he hired the open trolley pulled by a van for his wedding party of about 40. The van picked up people at two Dewey Beach hotels and then headed south to the Indian River Life-Saving Station. Some people rode in the van, the rest in the trolley, Bennett said. As soon as the van left Dewey town limits, he said, the driver sped up and the trolley began fishtailing.

“It was going across both lanes of the highway,” he said. “People were really scared, and we luckily got there safely.”

Bennett said he estimates the van accelerated quickly to about 45 mph when the trolley began swerving. “People in the van told him to slow down,” he said.

The driver pulled over briefly, but as he continued the three-mile drive to the Indian River Life-Saving Station, the fishtailing resumed.

“We were very concerned when we finished,” Bennett said. “I felt like we got lucky.”

Both Bennett and his wife contacted the Jolly Trolley about their experience, and management told them that they had too many people on the trolley. “They made it seem like it was our fault and wanted to charge us extra for having more people.”

After many phone calls and email exchanges, he said, management waived the trolley charges, but insisted the fishtailing was because there were too many riders.

“While they said they would talk to the driver, we were left with the impression that safety was not their priority,” Bennett said. “We even told them in writing how concerned we were that this could happen again with worse results, like what just happened.”

A Philadelphia resident, Bennett said he has vacationed in Rehoboth Beach for years and has ridden the Jolly Trolley from Rehoboth to Dewey Beach many times with no issues.

So has Washington, D.C., resident David Jasinski, who said he has ridden the trolley between Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach, and the trolley provides a great service to the area.

But in August, he said, he was biking southbound on Bayard Avenue, crossing the narrow bridge over Silver Lake when the Jolly Trolley passed him.

“The trolley was within inches of my handlebars. There was no way for me to pull over any further,” he said. “I could've been easily killed or injured.”

Jasinski shared emails that he exchanged with Jolly Trolley management in which they told him that they had spoken with the driver and told him to never pass anyone on the Silver Lake bridge.

Still, Jasinski said, he wonders if the driver who passed him is the same driver involved in the Oct. 2 trolley accident. “If it's the same driver, I would say they have a problem with the driver,” he said.

Christine Hastings, co-owner of the Jolly Trolley with her husband David, said the drivers are not the same. She said in both the bridge incident and the July wedding incident, the drivers were reprimanded. The driver in the most recent accident continues to work for Jolly Trolley, but he is not currently driving for them, she said.

Hastings said safety is their top priority. The couple bought the company in 1993, and since then, there has never been an accident like the Oct. 2 incident, she said.

“We're very safety oriented,” Hastings said. “We don't want to have an unsafe situation.”

The Hastings own three trolleys that are pulled by vans. Trolleys can seat about 30 people, depending on their size, Hastings said.

They have permits from the Delaware Transit Corporation to operate a shuttle from Dewey Beach to Rehoboth Beach, and they have a charter license to provide transportation for weddings and other special events. Hastings said they have transported hundreds of wedding parties over the years, and they regularly drive to the Indian River Life Saving Station for events. She said drivers are not to exceed 35 mph – 30 mph is preferable. “That is our policy,” she said.

The state requires vehicle and trolley inspections every six months, and she said, Jolly Trolley employees inspect the vehicles before using them. During peak season, she said, employees inspect vehicles every day.

“We look over the vehicles practically daily,” she said. “We go well beyond the inspection every six months.”

Julie Theyerl, spokeswoman for the Delaware Transit Corporation, said Jolly Trolley is regulated as a charter bus in Delaware and their permit is current. “Their vehicles must go through DMV inspections twice a year and are subject to spot inspections in the field,” she said.

The DMV inspection includes lights, brakes, tires and fenders. Theyerl said there are no design requirements for the trailer and no speed restrictions. The state also requires insurance.

Delaware State Police continue investigating the crash. Master Cpl. Gary Fournier said no charges have been filed.

Hastings said they are working with police and state regulators to provide the safe passage for their customers. She said she has been buoyed by the support of the community, and the many people who have thanked them for their service.

“We're a small business and very safety-oriented. This has been very hard,” she said.